Improvement in indexes



Indexes,

Patented Aug. 3,1875.

Ivo-.166284.

Wfcesses. Ziff/M zmelzo 7".

NOGHAPHER, WASHINGTON D C ".Ptms, worum UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

MELVIN N. LovEtL, 0E ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INDEXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,284, dated August3, 1875; application filed DecemberA 1, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVIN N. LovELL, ofErie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anImproved Index, of which the following is a specification:

Myinvention consists in constructing a book for daily entries, records,or references with such an arrangement of marginal indexes thatthe pageor pages designated for any day of any month can be referred to at once;also, the combination of the above named with other indexes, which pointout the headings of the various subjects-matter recorded or to berecorded or contained Within the daily record; and, also, thecombination of the monthly and diurnal indexes above named With amarginal index, Which points out ayearly calendar or almanac, or aseries of yearly calendars or a perpetual calendar, a table of memorabledays, a table of church days, or similar subjectpmatter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing by a singlegure, Which is a perspective view of a book constructed accordin g to myinvention.

.The following is a full, clear, and exact description of my mode ofconstructingV and arranging a book for the purposes designated; andWhile in my description I shall follour the plan of arrangement shown inthe drawings, it should be stated that the arrangement of Y parts may bevaried Without changing the 0bject ailned at by me.

My book is divided into three sections: First, is a section devoted tocalendars, almanacs, tables of memorable days, church days, and likesubject-matter, and also to miscellaneous matters, such as Wages-tables,interesttables, postage-tables, distance and difference of time, &c. Allof these various subjects-V matter are indicated by amarginalindex,Which I locate across the upper end of the pages.

The second section of my book is devoted to daily referenceV or record,and isdivided into twelve sub-sections,l to represent the twelve monthsof the year. Each of these sub-sections are divided into spaces ofgreater or less degree, as may be desired, to represent the several daysof 'the month, and each of these spaces is represented by a numeral onthe margin, thus forming a "numerical marginal index to the day-spaces.Each of the subsections or monthly sections is indicated by anabbreviation ofthe month it represents on the and by the name of themonth printed across the top of the page. not mentioned.

The third sectionof my book is a common alphabetical index, in which itis intended to enter abstracts or headings of matters recorded in thedaily record, and the dates of such entries.

The objects attained by my mode of construction are as follows:

By the use of the marginal monthly and diurnal indexes, the spacedevoted to any day in the year can be turned to at once. to find thespace devoted to the 4th day of July, by means of the monthly index,open the book to July, and then, by means of the numerical index, openthe sub-section to the page with 4 on its margin.

By not printing the name of the day of the Week on the daily spaces, andby the combination of the daily spaces with a series of cal endars, or aperpetual calendar, the daily spaces may be used for any year, or for aseries of years. This arrangement is especially useful where it 'is4desirable to compare the subject-matter recorded on the same day of theyear for a series of years, as, for example, Weather reports or tradestatistics or reports, Snc.; and this arrangement is further useful inthat the same book may be used year after year until full; and, further,in that by its use publishers or dealers in diaries or journals willnever have an unsalable stock of goods on hand because of being out ofdate.

By the combination of the monthly and diurnal indexes With a commonalphabetical index another useful feature is attained, for headings orabstracts of events recorded may thus be indexed, which adapts my bookto varied uses, such as stock-books for merchants and manufacturers,bills payable, and receiv- The day of the Week is Thus,

able book, &c. By showing its use as a stockbook it is easy to discoverits utility in other matters. Supposing it to he used by a hard- Waremerchant, in the alphabetical index he enter as headings the names ofvarious stock., as knives in K, screws in 8, Wire in W37 Now supposethat on December 10 the merchant orders a quantity of screws, he willWrite out his order in the space designated December 10, and in thealphabetical index he will, under the heading screws,7 enter the dateDec. 10. Afterward, if he desires to ascertain when he ordered screwslast, he will 100k at the heading` Screws,77 and he will find any givenentry can instantly be found, substantially as descri, ed, as and forthe purposes specified.

MELVIN N. LOVELL. Witnesses:

JN0. K. HALLocK, J oHN L. RAPPLE.

